Science Section 4 Flashcards
What is the green algal called?
Cyanobacteria
The green algal carries out photosynthesis providing energy to what 2 organisms?
The algal and the fungal part of the lichen
What is a power grid?
A large, somewhat amorphous delivery system.
What does the power grid do?
The grid loosely connects the power plants to one another and to all the homes in a given area.
What was covered by sediments Between 160 million and 400 million years ago?
Tropical plants growing in swamps and marshes.
What is petroleum?
The mixture of hydrocarbons, water and, usually, sulfur that occurs in underground deposits.
What did petroleum form from?
The remains of ocean-dwelling plankton that were preserved roughly 65 to 250 million years ago.
What is the remaining product from removing the natural gas from petroleum and leaving only the oil?
Liquid petroleum other known as crude oil.
How much natural gas is methane?
80 to 95 percent.
What does hydraulic fracturing do?
Extracts previously untapped oil and natural gas reserves.
What does hydraulic fracturing involve?
Injecting high-pressure streams of water, sand and chemicals into bedrock to create fractures in the rock formation to extract trapped oil and gas.
What does the fluid used to “frack” the bedrock contain?
Chemicals such as methanol, ethylene glycol, and propargyl alcohol that are hazardous to human health.
How much water has been used during large scale fracking operations since 2011?
About 1.5 trillion gallons of water since 2011.
Is nuclear power usage in the United States supported by the public?
No, protesters use the three accidents that have happened in parts of the world as their support
Describe the first nuclear accident that happened in March 28, 1979, that caused the public to be deeply concerned with the safety of nuclear power plants and people began to make early assumptions about their risks
a small amount of radiation was released from thee Three Mile Island Plant in Pennsylvania as a result of the nuclear core overheating and suffering some damage caused by a cooling water valve being closed (which prevented the core from staying cool). This was caused by human error.
What movie was coincidentally released before the accident at the Three Mile Island plant?
The China Syndrome (which is about when a nuclear plant suffers a major “meltdown” causing widespread anger and fear)
Was the nuclear power plant accident in Chernobyl, Ukraine the result of a natural disaster damaging the plant?
No, this nuclear accident was caused by operaters purposefully disconnected emergency cooling systems and removed control rods which caused the nuclear reactions during the special test to overheat. As a result the plant exploded causing several fires that were made worse since the control rods were made of flammable graphite (not water control rods). It is characterized as being a “runaway” reactor incident.
What were the casualties of the explosion at the nuclear power plant in Chernobyl, Ukraine?
31 plant workers and firefighter died immediately of acute radiation exposure and hundreds to thousands died over a longer period of time due to the radiation exposure
What natural disaster caused flooding to the reactors of the Fukushima nuclear power plant (located on the main island of Honshu, Japan) in March 2011?
an earthquake (that killed over 18,000 people)
What were the effects of the radioactive leakage of the Fukushima nuclear power plant whose reactors were damaged by flooding caused by a major earthquake? (effect on land and people)
forced more than 150,000 people to evacuate and caused the area around the nuclear plant to be off limits for the next FORTY YEARS to finish the decontamination work
What are the three types of radioactive waste produced from a nuclear power plant classified as?
1). high-level waste from spent (no longer usable) fuel rods 2). low-level waste from contaminated maintenance materials 3). the uranium residue that is left over after uranium mining and enrichment
What is the most dangerous type of radioactive waste that also has to be handled with the most care when disposing?
spent fuel rods
What does “spent” mean when describing nuclear fuel rods? Are they still radioactive?
that the rods no longer have enough fuel left to produce enough heat to effectively generate electricity. The rods still have highly radioactive fission fragments meaning that they are still a threat to biotic life for tens of thousands of years
How are spent nuclear fuel rods disposed considering they are still highly reactive?
in pools of water at least 20 feet deep (act as a shield against radiation) afterwards they are then moved to onsite cement storage containers (AKA a dry cask storage) which can hold 2-6 dozen rod assemblies each
True or False? The U.S. Department of Energy found a place in the U.S. to be a long term repository for spent nuclear fuel?
False. In 1978, the department thought that a site at Yucca Mountain, Nevada (~hundred miles from Las Vegas) however protests from the Western Shoshone people who claim the area is sacred to their culture, political pressure from Nevada, and the uncertainty if the land was stable enough to contain the radiation for thousands of years has prevented a repository from being constructed. As of 2023, the plan to do build has ended.
Is the use of fossil fuels sustainable?
No, because there no real inputs currently of coal, oil, or natural gas being replenished (not for another million years) even though there are many outputs of human energy
What type of sources is sustainable energy use based on? Some examples?
renewable energy sources (they cannot be depleted) such as the Sun and wind
Are biofuels like wood an example of a renewable energy source or a potentially renewable energy source? Why?
potentially renewable because their resources are finite but if their use (outputs) is balanced by the creation of new resources (inputs) then it can be sustainable
How is water- and wind-based energy sources considered forms of indirect solar energy?
because it is the sun that heats the Earth unevenly which causes air to move to and from different locations creating wind. For water, the sun evaporates the water, where it moves from land to the atmosphere as it falls to the ground as precipitation to supply rivers and streams providing hydrologic power
Name the three significant sources of energy that are not solar based
nuclear, geothermal, and tidal
How is the solar constant different from the solar potential?
the solar constant is the amount of solar energy that reaches the top of Earth’s atmosphere (roughly 1370 watts per square meter each day). The solar potential is the energy that is potentially available for use by people
Is the solar potential equal to the solar constant?
No, because Earth’s atmosphere reflects and absorbs a good fraction of the solar constant energy which leaves 200 watts (give or take 50 and 300 watts depending on the location and time of year) to arrive at the Earth’s surface near the equator
Where in the United States is solar potential the greatest?
the Southwest with solar energy available at least 90% of the time
What is passive solar?
refers to the collection of solar energy directly from the rays of the Sun without an intermediate technology (such as a pump or blower). This includes home heating with thermal inertia and cooking
What are the two main applications that active solar energy is used for?
heating hot water and generating electricity
Where is the Andosol solar power station located? (what country?)
Spain
How can energy from the sun be directly converted to electrical energy? And how?
with a photovoltaic solar cell which are made of silicon dioxide (SiO2) combined with a small amount of metal (like arsenic and antimony) to increase voltage output
What compound is found in photovoltaic solar cells and generates an electrical current when exposed to direct sunlight (if it is found in very small and ultra clean layers)?
silicon dioxide (SiO2)
How many watts of energy does one individual photovoltaic cell produce?
about one or two watts which is why normally 24+ cells are joined together and mounted on rooftops of buildings
How tall is a contemporary wind turbine? And the length of its blades?
~100 meters, with blades 40 to 75 meters long
How many homes can a wind turbine power in the U.S. if it generates over 843,000 kWh per month?
940 average U.S. homes
How many offshore wind turbine farms are located in Northern Europe?
at least 40 (over two thousand total wind turbines)
Lichens are indicators of changes in the levels and ecosystems of what?
Sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, ozone, and toxic metals
Where do you find lichens?
Rocks, and trees
What are a complex sybiosis between two seperate organisms?
linchens
Where do you find Cyanobacteria?
fungal filaments
What does Cyanobacteria do?
carry out photosynthesis, providing energy to linchens
What year did the lead levels increase the most?
1970s
Linchens can be used as what?
pollution monitors
The absence of a lichen species in regions where it once existed can indicate what?
that pollutants have increased to levels intolerable for that species
What will linchens rapidly accumulate into their tissue?
pollutants
What is a sensitive bioassay?
use of an organism to measure levels of chemicals
What is one of the most polluted regions in the world?
South Ural Mountains of Russia,
Who used lichens to monitor a major point source of gaseous?
A team of environmental scientists, led by O. William Purvis
To see where the levels of pollutants were highest relative to the emissions source, what did Purvis and his colleagues do?
transplanted over six hundred lichens from a nonpolluted area upwind of the smelter to areas at various distances downwind.
After how many months did hey collected the transplants along with samples of native lichens?
two and three months
The results of the analyses showed that significant levels of what pollutants were found in both the transplanted
and the native lichens?
lead, zinc, uranium, and particulates, such as coal dust,
the closer the transplanted species of lichen were to the smelter, the more likely they were to what?
to exhibit tissue damage
Environmental science was used in the development of what
regulation?
U.S. Clean Air Act (CAA) of 1970
What like most of the oceans, is considered a global commons that is protected by governments?
Atmosphere
What are the six most common and widely harmful air pollutants?
sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, carbon monoxide, lead,
particulate matter, and ground-level ozone.
What element is SO2
Sulfur dioxide
How is SO2 released
in nature by volcanic eruptions and by humans
All living things contain various amounts of what?
sulfur
What is N2?
nitrogen gas
What is a nonrenewable fuel
fuels that have a finite present on earth, within the context of a thousand years
What is the energy efficiency of older coal plants
36%
How many BTU of energy did the USA use in 2022
100.4 quadriain BTU’s
What fuel did USA use to make the majority of there energy.
petroleum
What did a majority of the USA’s energy go to
Transportation
How many bundles of fuel rods might a typical nuclear reactor contain?
75 to 100
What are the ups and downs of using nuclear power?
It is a relatively clean means of electricity however it produces radioactive waste.
How many pounds of uranium must be mined to produce seven pounds of uranium oxide for nuclear fuel?
As much as two thousand pounds.
What is a fission reaction?
When an atom is spilts and a small amount of heat is given off.
What is currently the greatest energy source in the United States?
Petroleum.
What are the two general ways that coal is mined?
Deep shaft mining and surface mining.
What happens during deep shaft mining?
Tunnels are dug into the Earth, perhaps as deep as 200 feet, and people descend into the shafts, dislodge the coal, and bring it to the surface.
What can be a result of coal extraction?
Coal extraction can result in the emissions of several harmful air pollutants, including sulfur dioxides, particulate matter, and mercury, and mining degrades water quality of nearby streams, creating an environmental problem called acid mine dranage.
What is ideal for the generation of electricity and for industrial processes and why?
Because coal is very dense and plentiful, it is ideal for the generation of electricity and for industrial processes such as making steel.
What are some kinetic energy sources?
Steam, combustion gases, flowing water, wind.
How do consumers get electricity?
The kinetic energy sources go through a rotor then go through a rotor shaft which goes into a stator which then gives energy to consumers.
What are the different types of coal?
Peat, lignite, bituminous coal, and anthracite.
Where can uranium be found in?
It can be found in relatively small concentrations in a wide variety of rocks, including shale and sandstone.
What are two places where commercial operations mine uranium for nuclear fuel?
The western U.S. and parts of Canada.
What way of transportation used the most fuel per person
Transit rail
what percentage of the US power sector electricity went away due to energy loss
65%
How many kilowatt hours did the USA make in 2022
4.2 trillion
Which of the USA’s fuel sources made the least Kilowatt hours in 2022
petroleum
Which of the USA’s fuel sources made the most Kilowatt hours in 2022
natural gas
True or false. fuels that make the most energy for a country also make the most electricity for that country
False
how much of consumer energy is accounted for by transportation
36%
What is the energy efficiency of newer coal plants
42%
what dose energy efficiency mean
how efficient it is in transforming from one energy form to another
What is the estimate for the global energy efficiency
36%
What counts for two thirds of the oil use in the world
transportation
What is the average mile per gallon for cars in the united states
25 miles per gallon
why cant energy efficiency be 100%
because of newtons second laws of thermodynamics. all energy will have some part converted to heat, sound, and or any other biproduct
What is a primary energy source
A energy source that was created directly from the source
What is a secondary energy source
A energy source that was changed to another energy source, before its used. ex. electricity
what percentage of the US energy is made of renewable energy
21.50%
What renewable energy generate the most electricity
wind
What is the first step to turn any fuel source into electricity
using the fuel source to spin a turbine
How many acres does a utility-scale solar facility require per megawatt output?
3.5 to 16.5 acres
What are the downsides of solar and wind energies?
Neither the sun rays nor the wind are always available. In this case energy is required to be stored so electricity can be depend on this sources but the batteries that power it are expensive and it’s production requires miming, ending in environmental harm, Furthermore a new step is added to the production of energy resulting in loss of energy.
What was the argument on the proposal for putting windmills of the Cape Cod in Nantucket in 2003?
Some opponents of the project asked why a private company had the right to profit from wind blowing across the ocean, in a public space. They maintained that wind is public, and no individual or corporation has the right to capture it, convert it, and sell it for profit. Another objection was that the windmills would be unsightly and destroy the view from many towns along Cape Cod and Nantucket.
What concept did people in favor of the windmills of the Cape Cod in Nantucket in 2003 came up with?
Proponents of the project accused the opponents, a number of whom were wealthy celebrities, of NIMBY (not in my backyard) behavior at the expense of much needed clean electricity for many people.
How many birds are estimated to die from windmills due to collision each year?
An estimated of 10,000 to 40,000 birds die each year because of windmills.
What is one objection regarding possibilities of constructing off shore wind farms?
They might obstruct migratory pats and endangered whales off the New England coast.
What percentage of the total renewable energy does Hydropower currently accounts for?
Hydropower accounts for 28.7 percent of the total renewable electricity.
What percentage of the total electricity generated in the U.S. does Hydropower account for?
Hydropower accounts for 6.2 percent of the total electricity generated in the U.S.
How does a run-of-the-river work?
Water is diverted from a river, passed through a narrow channel, and directed toward a turbine. After the water goes through the turbine, it is returned to the river.
In hydroelectrical power, what type of energy does a turbine transform into electrical energy?
As water falls over a vertical distance, the potential energy stored is released as kinetic energy. A hydroelectric power plant captures this kinetic energy and uses it to turn a turbine. The turbine transforms the kinetic energy into electrical energy.
What is the peak generating production for run-of-the-river?
It generates around one megawatt at peak capacity, enough to supply electricity to about a thousand homes.
Why does run-of-the-river energy generation varies during the year?
Run-of-the-river electricity generation is dependent on natural water flow, which means that supply is variable during the year, limiting its usefulness during the dry summer months, when electricity demands are at their highest.
What are fish ladders?
A series of pools and pipes designed like ascending steps that allow fish to travel upstream around a hydro dam.
What is water impoundment?
Water storage in a reservoir behind a dam.
How many watts can the water impoundment from Hydro Quebec dams in Canada generate at peak?
Hydro Quebec dams near James Bay, Canada, can generate 7,300 MW at peak.
What are the downsides of water impoundment?
Areas of land are flooded. Which results in the loss of hundreds of square miles of forest, rich bottom land ideal for agriculture, canyons that have great aesthetic or archeological value, or wild river recreation. Ecological communities are lost, and people are often displaced from their homes, communities,
and livelihoods.
How many people were displaced because of the Three Gorges Dam in China?
Three Gorges Dam in China forced over 1.3 million people to abandon their home.
What can elemental mercury convert to when it is in Hydro dams?
Hydro dams can create the conditions for the mercury to be converted from elemental mercury, which is relatively harmless in ecosystems, to methyl mercury, which concentrates in fatty tissue and bioaccumulates in fish and ultimately humans, potentially causing serious health problems.
What does MSW stand for (Biomass related)?
Municipal solid waste (MSW)
What are waste-to-energy facilities?
Incinerators that burns organic waste and uses the heat generated to produce commercial energy.
What percentage of renewable energy does biomass account for in the U.S.?
Together, the variety of biomass products accounts for roughly 37 percent of all renewable energy consumed in the U.S.
Where does ethanol come from?
Methanol is fermented Corn.
What fraction of biomass comes from wood products in the U.S.?
Roughly two-thirds of the biomass energy used in the U.S. comes from wood products.
What fraction of biomass comes from MSW in the U.S.?
Almost one-quarter comes from MSW.
What is the most common source of biomass energy in many countries (especially developing countries)?
In many parts of the world, especially developing countries, animal dung is the most common source of biomass energy.
What changes a biomass’s effects when burned?
Biomass is an organic matter, which means it contains a lot of carbon. The Carbon’s age makes it’s effects different from burning fossil fuels.
What is the difference between Modern Carbon and Fossil Carbon?
Modern Carbon was found naturally in the atmosphere but removed by plants. Fossil Carbon is more Deleterious to the environment because its use adds carbon in the atmosphere.
With Modern Carbon being removed from the atmosphere by plants. What happens when new vegetation regrows?
New vegetation grows where crops/trees were cut down, the new vegetation will absorb carbon dioxide during photosynthesis. If this stays true, there is no net effect on the carbon cycle or global CO2 concentrations from burning Biomass.
Contrasting from, Modern Carbon having no net effect change on the carbon cycle (As long as biomass is replaced by new growth). What is the Net change when Fossil Carbon is burned?
Net increase of Global CO2 concentrations whenever a fossil carbon is burned
Ethanol is the most common Biofuel. How is it made?
1.8 billion gallons of ethanol are made in the U.S each year by fermentation. 92% is derived from corn and corn-by-products.
What is the Main thing Ethanol is mixed with and why?
At a ratio of 1:10 Ethanol is mixed with gasoline to boost the octane and help oxygenate it which reduces certain air pollutants. Along with preventing the gasoline to freeze, and it replaces fossil carbon with modern carbon by reducing the amount of gasoline used.
Some opponets of using ethanol in automobile fuel points out a 90% gasoline /10% ethanol is how much less efficient?
Two to Three Percent less efficient than 100 percent gasoline
What was the other downside pointed out by individuals against ethanol in automobile fuel?
Growing Corn just to convert it to ethanol uses up fossil fuel energy and reduces amount of agricultural land.
Geothermal Energy is currently not a major renewable energy source, though it does have potential to become one. What is Geothermal energy?
Inexpensive energy that is heat produced from radioactive decay of elements deep in the earth, meaning it won’t ever deplete
Geothermal Energy can be used to directly heat water or be used as the primary energy source to what?
To produce electricity by changing steam to power turbines without generating greenhouse gasses or other pollutants produced by burning fossil fuels.
What are the major cons to Geothermal energy?
What’s been holding back Geothermal energy is how it geographically limited, to active areas. Along side that is Geothermal Energy can emit other localized dangerous gases.
Despite not being a major energy source, Tidal generation plants are operating in my areas. List out the locations of Generation Plants.
Maine, Washington State, Brittany, France, Nova Scotia, Canada, and more
What makes Tidal Energy a weaker energy source?
The difference between high and low tides in the water level are not enough to provide enough kinetic energy to generate a significant amount of electricity. Secondly, the harness for tidal energy requires power stations to be build directly on the coastline. For example, Estuary has a disruptive effect on ecology of costal, shoreline, and oceans organisms.
What is “conservation” in terms of energy?
Reduce energy usage by changing everyday actions. This is universally available, however, it does require habit changes.
Increasing Energy-Efficiency (using less energy to do the same work) says energy is the ability to do work. When looking in the perspective of sustainability, what is the example provided?
Getting Point A to Point B, in 100 miles down the road, Getting there is quantity of usable work, which is the same no matter the weight of vehicle.
We were provided two different perspectives of Increasing Energy Efficiency, One was Sustainability and the other is Physics. What is the perspective of Physics?
Getting Point A to Point B, in 100 miles down the road, Getting there is quantity of usable work, a two-ton car would take more work then traveling in a one Ton car, which means it would use more energy. To use less Gasoline and increase energy efficiency, use a smaller, lighter car.
True or False: We can Increase Energy Efficiency individually through choices we make.
True! Some examples of what are can do are: buying a small car rather than a large car, insulating a home so that less fuel is required to heat it, using compact fluorescent light bulbs, purchasing EnergyStar appliances, and traveling less.
What is peak demand?
Greatest quantity of electricity needed over time. Examples would be: Hot summer day, and the middle of a cold night.
How are peak demands reduced?
Normally, Building new power plants, however some utilities creative ways such as: encouraging consumers and business to conduct optional activities before 8am (the usual start of peak) or after 8pm (the usual end of peak). If this is done throughout the district. It will reduce peak electricity demand, and the need for new power plants.
What is Radion?
A radioactive gas from the breakdown of Uranium. Naturally occuring in Rock and Soils from many parts of the world
Who is thr U.S. EPA and what do they do?
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. They are most responsible for: Identifying, Measuring, and Dealing with Environmental Risks
What is the main danger of Radon, to humans?
Radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer (Behind smoking) that’s estimated to kill between 6.500 through 31,000 people. Radon has a indirect effect based on lung cancer rates of Uranium miners rather than the public.
What does the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) have legal authority to regulate with Radon?
Radon in our drinking water, but not Airborne Radon.
An estimated 168 deaths were caused by Radon in drinking water. How much does it cost to ensure the risk is reduced with necessary improvements to the water treatment plants?
It’s estimated to be above $300 million and possibly more than $400 million
Who estimates that spending $86 million on a program that combines a recommended reduction in airborne radon with a required minimal reduction of Radon levels in drinking water would reduce risks of radon-caused cancers?
EPA - Environmental Protection Agency
Human actions involve voluntary and involuntary risks from economic, health, or environmental Hazards. What is the formula that explains the relationship between the probability of the hazards we face and the probability of harm once exposed?
Risk = Probability of exposure to hazard × probability of harm once exposed
What are the EPA’s Top concerns of Ecological Risks? (Not Ranked In Order)
Global Climate Change, Stratosphere Ozone depletion, Habitat Alteration, Lost of Biodiversity
How does the EPA’s top concerns of Ecological Risks compare to the Public’s? (Note that the EPA’s is not in order)
The EPA considers more broad issues that have many causes to be more important, while The Public is more concerned about more specific risks. Some The top example for both sections are: Global Climate Change (EPA) and, Active Hazardous Waste Sites (Public)
What are some Top Concerns about Health Risks from both the EPA and The Public? List the Top 3 for each.
EPA: Criteria Air Pollutants (Smog), Toxic Air Polutants, Radon. Public: Oil Spills, Destruction of Ozon Layer, Nuclear Power Plant Accidents.
From 2021 to 2023, the IPCC its sixth multi-volume assessment of the changing knowledge regarding climate change. During each assessment, the ICPP improved and increased their data regarding global climate change. Why was this study significant?
This study decreased the amount of scientific uncertainty in its estimates, there is no doubt that human influence has warmed the atmosphere, ocean and land.
Lichen are a symbiosis of fungi and
algae
In the South Ural Mountains, lichens are used as
bioassay organisms
What are lichen transplants used to determine?
short-term variations in emissions
Which of the following facts about air pollution is NOT true?
a. The term usually refers to pollution in the troposphere.
b. It can be caused by natural and man-made forces.
c. It can negatively affect the structure and function of ecosystems.
d. It only exists in one layer of the atmosphere.
e. The term refers to the harmful emission of compounds in the air.
It only exists in one layer of the atmosphere.
Why did scientists identify the six most common and harmful air pollutants?
to help with the development of the U.S. Clean Air Act
What negative health effects comes from the release of sulfur dioxide into the atmosphere?
reduced lung function
What pollutants forms 78% of the atmosphere?
nitrogen gas
Of what type of emission is carbon monoxide a major component?
automobile emissions
When did the use of leaded gasoline end in the United States?
1970s
Lead can harm animals by severely impacting their
blood production
What source is NOT a source of particulate matter?
electricity
What are fine particles?
particulates smaller than 2.5 microns
What type of pollutant is formed by the Sun’s action on oxides?
photochemical air pollutants
How does ozone in the stratosphere protect the Earth?
by absorbing ultraviolet light
What section of the Clean Air Act regulates criteria pollutants?
National Ambient Air Quality Standards
Which of the following pollutants is a secondary pollutant?
a. carbon dioxide
b. sulfuric acid
c. hydric acid
d. nitrogen dioxide
e. coal
sulfuric acid
What factors does NOT help form photochemical smog?
carbon monoxide
In what region did a study find that the chance of extreme weather more than doubled?
eastern Canada
How do domestic livestock contribute to air pollution?
methane release
Ethylene and terpene are two types of
volatile organic compounds
Where do ground pollutants accumulate in an atmospheric inversion?
troposphere
What condition might a child exposed to photochemical smog develop?
asthma
What is the primary greenhouse gas released by forest fires?
carbon monoxide
What contributes to pollutant accumulation during an atmospheric inversion?
increased temperatures with altitude
What is a characteristic feature of models used to predict pollution distribution?
They are universally applicable
Why are atmospheric inversions more prominent in urban areas?
There are more pollutants to trap.
How does solar energy help create smog?
It powers chemical reactions.
Predictive air pollution models help
narrow public health initiatives
How do natural emissions affect the formation of secondary pollutants?
They release the precursor compounds
What is another name for an atmospheric inversion?
thermal inversion
At what temperature does water have the greatest density?
39 degrees Fahrenheit
Which of the following energy sources generates the most British thermal units?
a. a short ton of coal
b. a barrel of residual fuel oil
c. a cubic foot of natural gas
d. a barrel of US crude oil
e. a gallon of heating oil
a short ton of coal
What number, in quadrillions, is CLOSEST to the British thermal units of energy consumed by the United States in 2021?
100
In what year did the world consume the MOST energy?
2021
What country passed the United States in British thermal unit consumption in 2010?
China
What percent of the United States’ 2022 energy consumption came from nonfossil fuel sources?
21 percent
What fossil fuel had the GREATEST use in the United States in 2022?
petroleum
Which of the following energy sources is nonrenewable?
a. geothermal
b. hydrothermal
c. hydroelectric
d. uranium
e. biomass
uranium
Of the following industries, which depends MOST on carbon input?
a. electricity generation
b. high-tech electronics
c. transportation
d. steel production
e. nuclear power plant
steel production
In what United States region is the most coal found?
Midwest
What conversion process is less common in dense population areas?
coal to electricity
Energy efficiency is found by dividing
output & total energy input
What organization estimated the global energy efficiency in 2015 to be 37%?
United Nations (UN)
What percent of the initial fuel is left between the generator and the electricity stage in a coal-to-electricity system?
41 percent
Which of the following methods is NOT a way energy is lost in the coal-to-electricity process?
a. vibration
b. oxidation
c. heat
d. smoke
e. noise
oxidation
What industry uses two-thirds of the United States’ oil?
transportation
What travel method has the MOST efficient average fuel economy?
transit rail, about 140 passenger miles per gasoline gallon equivalent
Which pair of average miles per gallon and British thermal units per gallon of gas is correct?
a. 15;115,000
b. 25;114,000
c. 30;115,000
d. 20;10,000
e. 100;4,550
25;114,000
Why does an airline have a higher fuel economy than a car?
It takes more people a farther distance.
Why are electric hot water heaters thought to be 100% efficient?
They convert nearly all electrical energy into heat.
What fundamental principle maintains that something cannot be 100% efficient?
Second Law of Thermodynamics
Why is cooking with biomass more energy-efficient than with electricity?
Cooking with biomass is a more direct method.
How many passenger miles would a car traveling 30 miles with 10 people have?
300
What type of initial energy do electricity-generating power plants use?
chemical potential energy
What energy source was responsible for 21.5% of the United States’ electricity creation in 2022?
renewables
A traditional electricity-generating power plant has an efficiency of around
36 percent
What kinetic energy source is NOT used to turn a power plant rotor for electricity generation?
electric currents
How does the power grid help prevent outages across the United States?
It balances supply and demand across regions.
What primary energy source did the United States use the MOST for electricity generation in 2005?
coal
What energy source has seen the MOST significant increase in its contribution to United States electricity generation from 2000 to 2022?
natural gas
Why does anthracite coal have the highest energy content among all types of coal?
It has undergone the greatest amount of pressure and time.
What environmental problem is specifically associated with water quality degradation due to coal mining?
acid mine drainage
What process is used to extract petroleum from the ground?
well pumping
How much carbon does burning oil release compared to coal for the same amount of energy?
85%
Why is natural gas typically found above oil?
It is less dense
Large hydraulic fracking operations are linked to
increased drought levels
What is the pound ratio of uranium oxide produced to uranium mined?
7:2,000
A fission reaction is also known as
radioactive decay
How are fossil fuels still used in nuclear power generation?
to aid in uranium mining
How did the Three Mile Island accident affect the state of nuclear power in the United States?
It fueled protests against nuclear power
Why was Chernobyl deemed a “runaway” incident?
The control rods had been removed.
What was the PRIMARY cause of the Fukushima disaster in 2011?
tsunami
Which of the listed waste products is the MOST dangerous?
a. water
b. maintenance materials
c. uranium enrichment residue
d. uranium mining residue
e. fuel rods
fuel rods
What is the purpose of dry cask storage?
radiation shielding
What tribe claims the Yucca Mountain as a sacred site?
Shoshone in Nevada
Which of the following energy sources is classified as potentially renewable?
a. coal
b. Sun
c. oil
d. wood
e. wind
wood
What cycles describes the movement of ocean water to the land?
hydrologic cycle
What type of energy are water- and wind-based energy sources?
indirect energy
What term is used to describe the amount of solar energy reaching the top of the Earth’s atmosphere?
solar constant
What is passive solar energy?
energy gained directly from the Sun
Which of the following materials has the MOST thermal inertia?
a. wood
b. glass
c. metal
d. stone
e. plastic
stone
What are the two main applications of active solar energy?
heating hot water and generating electricity
An active solar water heater uses tubing primarily made from
copper
What chemical compound is used in photovoltaic solar cells?
silicon dioxide
Why do contemporary photovoltaic solar cells combine silicon dioxide with small amounts of metals?
to increase the voltage of the output
How much energy does a typical photovoltaic cell generate?
1 to 2 watts
What region of the world has at least forty operating offshore wind farms?
Northern Europe
Which of the following outcomes is NOT a possible advantage for the use of solar and wind energy?
a. electricity provided to remote locations
b. compatibility with other land uses
c. heat and electricity generated without pollution
d. energy savings produced
e. increased amount of energy production
increased amount of energy production
Which environmental harm from wind turbines is of MOST concern?
a. interference with local weather patterns
b. the death of flying animals
c. disruption of marine life
d. increased noise and light pollution
e. emission of greenhouse gases during construction
the death of flying animals
The two MOST popular renewable energy sources for electricity generation in the United States are hydropower and
biomass
What dam in China caused the displacement of 1.3 million people?
Three Gorges Dam
Which of the following factors is a drawback of using run-of-the-river for hydropower?
a. It is susceptible to seasonal fluctuations.
b. It has extremely high maintenance costs for a lower power output.
c. It displaces many thousands of people and floods local areas
d. It requires extensive logistical planning.
e. It consumes large amounts of water in the process.
It is susceptible to seasonal fluctuations.
At their peak, the Hydro Quebec dams of Canada can generate
7,300 MW
What is the formula for the potential energy of water stored in a reservoir?
Ep = mgh
What does natural flooding do that helps cottonwood trees in their reproductive phases?
creates sand bars
Which of the following sources is NOT classified as biomass?
a. animal dung
b. plant remains
c. plant remains
d. peat
e. charcoal
peat
What percent of biomass energy is created through wood?
67 percent
The process of corn fermentation leads to the creation of
ethanol
What country gets 73% of its energy from hydropower?
Iceland
Who is the target of energy conservation efforts?
consumers
Who created the EnergyStar program?
the Environmental Protection Agency
Which of the following items is NOT considered a modern carbon?
a. petroleum
b. ethanol
c. bamboo
d. sugarcane
e. corn
petroleum
Thirty-seven percent of the United States’ renewable energy comes from
biomass energy
What Native American group was MOST negatively affected by the creation of the Hydro Quebec dams?
Cree
What are the “forever chemicals”?
perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances
Radon is created from the breakdown of
uranium
What is the second leading cause of lung cancer?
radon
The Environmental Protection Agency has legal authority to regulate radon in
drinking water
How many deaths per year are caused by radon in drinking water?
168 deaths
The risk of a hazard is equal to the probability of exposure to a hazard multiplied by
probability of harm once exposed
What carcinogens is found in peanut butter?
aflatoxin fungus
What would an average person find the LEAST risky?
a. being inside an unstable building
b. frequently flying on a plane
c. participating in extreme sports
d. driving at high speeds
e. eating common foods with carcinogens
eating common foods with carcinogens
Which of the following ecological risks is NOT a top concern of the Environmental Protection Agency?
a. global climate change
b. stratospheric ozone depletion
c. acid rain
d. habitat alteration
e. loss of biodiversity
acid rain
Which of the following health risks are NOT a top concern of the Environmental Protection Agency?
a. criteria air pollutants
b. industrial accidents
c. application of pesticides
d. drinking water contamination
e. occupational exposure to chemicals
industrial accidents
What terms is used to describe anything in our surroundings that can cause harm?
environmental hazards
What are the three steps of risk analysis?
risk assessment, risk acceptance, risk management
Which of the following types of risks have the Environmental Protection Agency NOT identified as needing to be assessed?
a. non-cancer risks
b. ecological risks
c. damage to public welfare
d. chemical pollutants
e. cancer risks
chemical pollutants
Which of the following processes is NOT a type of risk assessment?
a. scientific research
b. public surveys
c. animal studies
d. field studies
e. epidemiological studies
public surveys
Which of the following steps is NOT part of the Environmental Protection Agency’s risk assessment process?
a. exposure assessment
b. dose-response assessment
c. risk characterization
d. hazard identification
e. data synthesis
data synthesis
PCBs is the abbreviation for
polychlorinated biphenyls
Which of the following factors is NOT used to evaluate the concentration of air pollutants in an exposed person?
a. wind speed around the release site
b. pollutant dispersion rate
c. temperature at the release site
d. person’s distance from the release site
e. amount of pollutant released
temperature at the release site
Which of the following steps was NOT a part of the 1996 study conducted by the Environmental Protection Agency?
a. evaluating cancer risk caused by PCB in lab animals
b. using models to estimate cancer risk
c. comparing and contrasting PCB exposure from various sources
d. investigating the impacts of workplace PCB exposure
e. reviewing historical trends in PCB production
reviewing historical trends in PCB production
What did the Environmental Protection Agency’s 1996 study on PCBs conclude?
PCB exposure poses a minimal risk of cancer
What risk level does the Environmental Protection Agency accept for most hazards?
one in a million
Which of the following countries would MOST likely follow the precautionary principle?
a. the United States
b. Canada
c. France
d. Russia
e. Japan
France
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change was jointly created in 1988 by the United Nations and the
World Meteorological Organization
How many assessments has the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change published since its founding?
6
What was the average range of global carbon dioxide concentration for the past 800,000 years?
180-280 ppm
Which of the following trends does NOT fall under the climate change category?
a. tornado intensity trends
b. atmospheric carbon dioxide trends
c. hurricane frequency trends
d. sea level trends
e. precipitation trends
sea level trends
Which of the following systems does the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s latest report NOT describe as being rapidly anthropogenically changed?
a. geosphere
b. biosphere
c. atmosphere
d. cryosphere
e. ocean
geosphere
Bioaccumulation of PCBs typically takes place in an organism’s
tissues
Why is the PCB risk exposure PRIMARILY higher for humans?
There are multiple avenues for contact with PCBs.
The term that describes why PCB concentrations are higher in predatory species is
biomagnification
Which of the following items is MOST likely to contain PCBs?
a. rubber band
b. hardback book
c. power transformer
d. handheld radio
e. old bicycle pump
power transformer
What is the MOST common greenhouse gas?
water vapor
The re-radiation and reabsorption of energy by greenhouse gases is called
radiative forcing
Which of the following greenhouse gases has the MOST warming potential?
a. methane
b. water vapor
c. carbon dioxide
d. chlorofluorocarbons
e. nitrous oxide
chlorofluorocarbons
Corals are an indicator of climate change because they grow annual bands of
calcium carbonate
By how many centimeters does a one-degree Celsius increase in ocean temperature raise sea levels?
10 centimeters
Which of the following parameters do researchers NOT use to characterize past climate change?
a. average yearly rainfall
b. air and ocean temperatures
c. extent of sea ice coverage at the poles
d. size of different biological populations
e. carbon dioxide concentrations
average yearly rainfall
Which of the following systems is MOST similar to the global greenhouse gas system?
a. Mekong Delta
b. Organ Cave
c. Carlsbad Cavern
d. Poznań Lakeland
e. Mono Lake
Mono Lake
What is a by-product of aerobic decomposition?
carbon dioxide
Where would decomposition occur FASTEST?
a. a grassland
b. a tropical rainforest
c. a deciduous forest
d. a taiga
e. a tundra
a tropical rainforest
What type of organic matter does NOT undergo aerobic decomposition?
wet
Sea ice and snow-covered ground cool global surface temperatures because they are
solar reflectors
By how many days has the growing season lengthened each year since the 1960s?
one to four days
By what percent has atmospheric carbon dioxide increased since 1750?
50 percent
Shifts in which of the following processes would result in the disruption of global heat distribution?
a. ocean currents
b. thermal convection
c. glacial flow
d. atmospheric circulation
e. biomass circulation
ocean currents
Which of the following islands has NOT seen short-term inundation due to high tides and rough seas?
a. Saint Lucia
b. Marshall Islands
c. Cook Island
d. Tuvalu
e. Papua New Guinea
Saint Lucia
What anthropogenic source is responsible for more than half of Earth’s outdoor air pollution?
transportation
All of the following pollutants are part of the United States criteria air pollutants EXCEPT
a. sulfur dioxide
b. carbon dioxide
c. particulate matter
d. carbon monoxide
e. nitrogen oxides
carbon dioxide
What air pollutant forms when nitrogen oxides combine with VOCs and oxygen in sunlight?
photochemical smog
Which of the following energy sources is MOST dominant in developing countries?
a. nuclear
b. geothermal
c. biomass
d. wind
e. solar
biomass
The term that refers to the amount of work that a given amount of energy can use is
energy efficiency
Which of the following sources of energy is NOT one of the most common for generating electricity?
a. natural gas
b. coal
c. hydrologic
d. oil
e. nuclear
hydrologic
In the United States, transportation PRIMARILY relies on
oil
Which of the following energy sources is considered the fastest-growing electricity source in the world?
a. biomass
b. solar
c. wind
d. geothermal
e. hydrologic
wind
All of the following sources can be converted into biomass energy EXCEPT
a. solid waste
b. radioactive waste
c. ethanol
d. biodiesel
e. wood
radioactive waste
Which type of energy is considered to be one of the cleanest forms of energy?
a. geothermal
b. solar
c. nuclear
d. hydropower
e. biomass
hydropower
Which of the following processes explains why Earth becomes warmer if more solar radiation is absorbed rather than reflected?
a. Sun-Earth heating system
b. greenhouse effect
c. photosynthesis
d. Coriolis effect
e. albedo effect
Sun-Earth heating system
Which of the following terms refers to the radiation and absorption of energy by greenhouse gases?
a. thermal emission
b. radiative forcing
c. conduction
d. latent heat transfer
e. albedo effect
radiative forcing
All of the following processes are natural causes of global warming EXCEPT
a. deforestation
b. denitrification
c. volcanoes
d. ammonification
e. evaporation
deforestation
Which of the following processes is the GREATEST cause of global warming through anthropogenic?
a. urbanization
b. burning fossil fuels
c. mining activities
d. deforestation
e. plastic production
burning fossil fuels
How many coordinated feedback loops affect global warming on humans and the environment?
three
